words & pictures

La Rocco Tower

This was the last of the 23 Jersey Round towers built. It followed Sir Seymour Conway’s original design, despite the English having adopted Martello towers sometime before. It was constructed between 1796- 98.

Archirondel Tower that went up in 1794, served as the prototype for La Rocco. Like La Rocco, it had a parapet with a gun battery at its base. Archirondel could carry four 18 pounders, while La Rocco had five 32 pounders protecting it.

It was named Gordon’s Tower by an Act of The States in May 1801, after Lt.General Andrew Gordon who was Lt. Governor between 1797 and 1806.

During the Second World War, the occupying forces allegedly used the tower as a target for artillery practice. It stood up to modern artillery well, but over time the wind and tide did further damage. In July 1968, an appeal was started to raise funds to repair the tower, the sum raised would be matched by the Government. Within three months the target of £317,500 had been achieved.